The Harmonica
by reader17
Summary: A flicker of hope lies in a present from a stranger... the harmonica. [Oneshot]


The Harmonica

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and this story is just for my enjoyment as well as the readers'.

Warning: "Don't try this at home" or on the street or anywhere would be a good warning i.e. pick pocketing is immoral and unlawful. There would be nudity and mild cursing, but, rest assured, no fully written sex scenes. However, with a small yet strong (to me) scene of abuse, I feel the story has gone overboard so I have it M-rated for safety purposes.

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_A flicker of hope lies in a present from a stranger -- a harmonica. _

"There, that one," Shota pointed at someone in the crowd. Jade eyes followed the finger and narrowed at what she saw. There was hesitation in the sigh that followed. The sandy-haired boy tried to coax her into agreeing, "He would be easy and, please do it, Sakura-nee-san, or Leader will punish you again."

Shota watched her form quivered slightly at the mention of their leader. The last time she was punished, he had to shoplift for bandages and healing salves. Leader had been displeased when he found out, warning the black-eyed boy to mind his own business or he would be punished as well although Shota took the warning with deaf ears. With his great skill that brought much income compared to others, Leader treated him better and even let him off the hook when he turned up empty-handed once in a while.

Sakura kicked the cement she was standing on. Shota was right. She had no choice but to fish her victim's wallet or fish her sorry ass when they returned to their 'headquarter' later on.

She sucked in a deep breath and reached back to un-strap her treasured skateboard. Shota winced, unbeknownst to Sakura, as he caught a stray bruise on her inner arm. Sakura-nee-san had to succeed, he told himself. Placing it on the sidewalk, Sakura rolled it back and forth, testing its working condition. Satisfied, she stepped on the tail of the board and held onto the body. Shota smiled at her encouragingly when she turned to look at him.

For a twelve year old, Shota was much more confident and definitely better in his job. He did not hesitate to share with her his hard-earned accolade. Perhaps loneliness and the fact that they were both sharing the same fate had driven him to stick to her side like glue.

Sakura smiled in return and ruffled his soft brown hair affectionately, "Wait for me here. I'll be back really quick."

"Kanbatte, nee-san!" Shota shouted in his head as she got out of the corner and made her way down the busy street.

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The victim of the day was really easy in her opinion after following him for the past five minutes. The man was probably in his early-forties judging from his pale hair which bordered silvery gray. Must be overstressed, Sakura shrugged at the thought. From the slouch in his shoulder to the unkempt hair and baggy clothing to his choice of reading material, Sakura concluded the old man was lazy, perverted and best of all, oblivious to his surrounding. No wonder Shota had picked the man out of the thousand others. And what made things easier was…

A smile crept onto her face when she noticed half of what looked like a black men's wallet sticking out of his back pocket with no chains linking it to anywhere and considering how bulky it looked… Sakura inwardly cheered.

_Ah, ah, Sakura, don't get ahead of yourself_, she warned herself. Each step she took must be precise and quick or everything would fall apart.

Her eyes inspected her surrounding. The long stretch of street was filled with stalls and people. No one was looking her way. _Good…_ Letting her sight fall back on her target who was still reading that conspicuous orange book, she smirked once again before tugging down the worn cap that hid her prominent pink hair.

She began her countdown as her steps quickened, the black wallet becoming bigger as she neared the pale-haired man. _Five… four… three… two… one! _

Nimble fingers easily wrapped around her prize and with a gentle pull, it came out easily. _SUCCESS!_ She turned around quickly, adrenaline pumping high as the skateboard in her arm dropped with a clang while one leg stepped on—

A large hand wound around her upper right arm firmly. Her head whipped back, shock evident all over her face when she came face to face with the man she had just picked. Her brain seemed to freeze at the thought of being caught, unable to come up with any counter movement immediately. _No! Focus, Sakura! You're not going to fail after all that!_ She blinked her eyes under pretence of bewilderment before turning around to beam innocently at the man. In the sweetest voice she owned, she asked, "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

"I think that belongs to me," the visible eye creased at the sides as an small smile graced his face while his free hand which held the notorious orange book, tapped at the wallet now sitting conveniently in one of the front pockets of her denim hot pants.

"What makes you think it's yours?" she retorted, face flushed red as she panicked inwardly. People were beginning to stare at them, wondering what was going on. _Shit!_ It was time for a change in plan. Without waiting for a reply, Sakura struggled to get free but that damn man had a good left hand for a forty-year-old. Her free hand fisted and lashed out for a punch in the man's face but he was faster. Dropping his book, he held her fist and twisted her around, locking her arms in an X behind her. Sakura let out a cry of pain and frustration.

"It's not nice to steal," he whispered with an amused tone into her ears. Somewhere in between, he had managed to grab the locked arms in one hand. He leaned forward and grabbed his wallet much to Sakura's agony.

"Now, what shall we do with you? Hmm…," he had hardly finished his sentence and just as Sakura thought all was at lost, an enormous force hit the pair from the side causing the pale-haired man to loose hold on her arms as they both fell to the ground. Momentarily shocked, she felt herself being pulled up by a small pair of hands.

"Shota?"

"Run, nee-san!" he prompted her with a shake as the man behind them started to get up. Sakura, suddenly filled with a newfound sense of freedom, quickly crushed Shota against her body and he instinctively wrapped his leg around her waist as she stepped onto the skateboard. Manoeuvring with excellent skills despite the additional weight, they managed to get away.

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The expression on his face was pure livid as brown eyes with red veins at its corners seemed to burn through her kneeling form.

"You failed again!"

Sakura could not help the shiver running down her spine at Leader's incensed voice. She could smell alcohol from his breath. Things were against her today, she mused as heavy footsteps approached her. A large calloused hand clasped tight on her small chin and pushed her face upward. Silence ensued for a moment. Sakura held her breath as Leader's eyes perused her lower body.

"Where is your necklace?!"

Her necklace? Her hands instinctively reached up to feel about her neck. The leather-banded necklace with her name engraved on a metal plate was nowhere in reach. Fearfully, Sakura muttered out, "I... must have… lost it when I…"

A numbing pain instantly hit her left cheek. She managed to hold back the whimper.

"Do you know how much that shit cost? And you lost it?!"

Her ears could not keep out the sound of a belt being unbuckled. She squeezed her eyes shut as a swishing sound accompanied the numbing pain of leather against her skin. A cry tore from her lips and her hand clutched at the beginning of a red welt.

"I brought you up and this is how you repay me?" Leader yelled and the belt came down again. Tears sprung out of their confinements but she held in the scream of pain. She would not let that drunken bald man had the satisfaction of knowing he had hurt her. After a few more whipping and abusive words, Leader seemed displeased with the lack of noise coming from the young woman.

"You good-for-nothing whore! I'm going to teach you today!"

The belt was thrown aside, toppling the empty beer bottles on the table all over the place. Sakura visibly trembled as she realized what form of punishment he had implied as the sound of a zipper being tugged down reached her ears. She yelped when she was dragged up roughly by the hair. Jade eyes widened as a flaccid penis flanked by short wiry grey curls was jostled in front of her.

"Suck it!"

She pleaded with her eyes for some form of sympathy but Leader would not have it. He repeated his order again, tightening his fist in her hair as a warning, "Suck it!"

Tears flowed down again as trembling hands grabbed the limp organ.

"Hurry up!" Another sharp tug at her hair followed by a slap on her face was more than she could take. Throwing away all her self-worth, Sakura closed her eyes just as her lips closed around the length. She ran her tongue on the underside, eliciting a groan from the man. As the penis began to engorge, Sakura pumped the member with her hands causing Leader to thrust himself into her mouth in a frenzy manner, nearly choking her.

Her warm mouth was apparently not enough to satisfy the old man's lust. He pulled away and grasped her by the arm, dragging her to lie on the table. Sakura could only watch in silence as her T-backed shirt was roughly bunched around the base of her throat before rough hands fondled her exposed breast, pinching the nipple painfully. She closed her eyes at the sound of her zipper being pulled down.

This was not the first time but each time, it felt like the first time – her dreams and self-worth were chucked away like her shorts and panties that were flung haphazardly across the room. A sharp gasp escaped her lips when he entered her without care.

Her eyes flickered open to stare at the white ceiling above in wonder. A lone tear slid down her cheek as she ignored the stabs of pain and the harsh breathing on her breasts.

_In this life… there is no such thing… as hope. _

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People were staring at her as she retraced her steps. Sakura knew she must be a pitiful sight with the bruises on one side of her face. It had been a small stroke of genius on her part to drape on a small jacket and change into long jeans to conceal the welts and marks all over her limbs. Or she would have some good Samaritans or the patrolling polices coming over to interrogate her on the injuries.

Shota had wanted to come along to help her search for the necklace but Sakura was adamant in her decision. Leader would severely punish Shota in his drunken state and the last thing she ever wanted was Shota to be hurt by that monster.

Truthfully, she could care less about the lost necklace. It was like a dog leash with the owner, Leader. Then again, it was the only thing that held her identity, her name.

Turning around a corner, she realized she was down to the end of her journey. If she could not find the necklace here, Leader would no doubt do more than just rape her. Sakura pushed the images away and told herself that she would find it.

Pulling down the cap to conceal the upper half of her face, she trod down the street half-heartedly.

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Her bed was so soft. Did Leader decide to change their stale bed sheets? That cold-hearted monster would never…

_Shit!_ She quickly shot out of her bed at the thought of the bald ugly man. Composing her thoughts, she recalled falling asleep on a bench. Sakura caught sight of stray morning rays peeking through the wooden blinds and paled slightly. Where was she?

Looking around, she realized she was in a sparsely decorated room. Despite clothes strewn all over the floor, it was nicer compared to the cramped room that she shared with Shota and twelve other children.

She stalked out of the bedroom and was immediately greeted by the sight of a man lying stretched out on a couch. A hand was thrown over his face probably to shield out the light but what caught her attention was the black wallet similar to the one she had tried to steal the night before.

Taking extra care to be quiet, Sakura took small tentative steps till she was standing in front of the sleeping man._ So far so good._ Slowly, her hand reached down to take the wallet. She was about to flip it open when a voice boomed behind her.

"I would expect to be thanked for taking you in, not robbed."

She quickly dropped the wallet as if it had burnt her hands and whipped back to see the man taking his hand away from his face.

_Oh… my God. _

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His body felt sore from a night on the couch. Kakashi decided investing in a more comfortable couch was on his list of to-get when he received his next pay check.

"Ah, my back," he clasped his hands above his head and stretched. A satisfied grunt escaped his lips at the popping sounds. One hand tried to move the bangs out of his other eye but it was useless as they dropped back in place after his hand moved away. His mismatched eyes flickered open to see stunned jade greens.

"Yo!"

The pink-haired woman seemed completely stunned by something. It must be the face. Kakashi inwardly shrugged at the thought.

"O-ohaiyo." She was stuttering. _How cute_, Kakashi thought with a smile but it dropped immediately as he remembered what she had done a good two minutes ago. Bending down to take the fallen wallet, he watched her squirm uncomfortably as she tried to come up with an excuse, "I… I was just looking…"

Silence ensued between them and the tension in the room thickened with Kakashi's lack of reply till...

_Growl... growl... _

Sakura quickly covered her stomach as her face flushed red in embarrassment. Kakashi let out a chuckle and stood up, making the pink-haired woman feel small in his shadow.

"Hungry?"

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"It's not poisoned," Kakashi drawled out as he watched the pink-haired woman refuse to touch her food. Mistrust was bore deep in Sakura's eyes. Who wouldn't if the man who cooked your breakfast, regardless how savoury the food smelt, was the man you nearly stole from _twice_? Revenge was a sweet torture today, Sakura inwardly whined.

"If you don't eat soon, your stomach is going to hurt badly."

As if to fortify the statement, her stomach let out another embarrassing growl. Sakura felt her face warming up suddenly.

"Was that a thunder rumbling? I thought it wasn't going to rain to—."

"Shut up!" the jade-eyed woman snapped in annoyance and finally, with a resigned sigh and throwing another wary eye at Kakashi, she took a small bite of her toasted tuna sandwich. One bite led to another and before she knew it, she was going for second helpings.

Kakashi felt somewhat compassionate as he watched her wolf down her food. Despite her claim that she went about picking people's pockets for fun, Kakashi felt that she must have not been well-off from the way she ogled his modest apartment earlier on like it was the Eiffel Tower which reminded him of something.

"Anosa, do you like sleeping in the streets?"

Sakura immediately stopped her rather un-ladylike eating manner and a depressed look took over, "I was looking for something…"

She felt troubled now that she was reminded of the reason she had been out on the streets the night before. And Leader would definitely kill her for not returning.

"For what?" Kakashi asked. When she did not elaborate, Kakashi goaded, "A necklace, perhaps."

Shock was evident on her face, "How did you know?"

Kakashi reached into a pocket of his pants and took out a necklace. She gasped as she recognized the leathery band right down to pendant with her name.

"Where did you get it?" she hissed.

Kakashi only shrugged his shoulders, "Must have come off when you struggled to get away last night. So, your name's Sakura?"

She did not reply, instead making a grab for it but his hand moved backwards. Smirking at her, he pocketed the necklace.

"Please give it back. You don't know how important that is to me."

"Then, why do you still pick people's pocket when you know whatever inside might be important to that person?" he raised an eyebrow to emphasize his point. Sakura was frustrated. Now was certainly not the time to lecture her on pick pocketing. He did not even know why she was out in the streets in the first place.

"You don't understand. If I don't get it back, I…" she stopped, suddenly aware that she was about to give out her secret to a stranger.

"You'll what?" he asked cheekily.

"It's my only salvation. Please return it to me." She pleaded in a softer tone. Kakashi let out a chuckle. "And, what do I get in return?"

"Anything." Her voice was so soft that he thought he had heard wrongly.

"Anything?" he reiterated for confirmation. Honestly, Kakashi had not expected anything in return but now that she had given a thought into it, he was more or less intrigued by what she had to offer. He supposed she would say something like _not picking pockets again_ along the line but she surely raised a few heads with her tongue. Anything sounded _risqué_ compared to not picking pockets. His question was met by another long suffering silence till Kakashi heard a chair scrapping against the parquet loudly. He looked up to find the pink-haired woman walking away, finally stopping at the bedroom door.

Seeing the questioning gaze, she slowly pulled the hem of the shirt up till it came off and she dropped the black cloth onto the floor beside her. The denim hot pants soon joined the shirt on the floor. Naked except for a pair of cotton panties, the way she half-whispered raised a tingle of desire in Kakashi, "Anything."

Now, Kakashi had seen many naked women before but he found himself mesmerized by the sight. His gaze dropped to her slender long legs and rose to linger on the white-cotton-covered spot beneath the swell of her hips. Following up the beautiful curve were two full breasts offset by narrow shoulders and a slim neck. Her lips were luscious in the morning light and her button-like nose was pretty cute in his opinion. High cheekbones and jade green eyes gave her a pronounced face framed by roseate hair. In spite of the numerous bruises and marks scattered here and there, Kakashi admitted that the woman was exquisite to the eye. When he finally settled back on her small face, she was flushing a deep red although her eyes gazed back unfaltering. Her fingers motioned for him to follow her as she turned and disappeared into the bedroom, allowing Kakashi a small glimpse of toned cheeks.

An amused smile tugged at Kakashi's lips as he got up and started towards the bedroom.

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Inside the bedroom, Sakura felt a large lump stuck in her throat as she slid out of her panties and lay on the bed while waiting for Kakashi. Men, in general, preferred such repayment from a woman and she did not expect less from the man. He was nice-looking in her opinion although she had yet to catch a glimpse of what was underneath those baggy clothes but what troubled the pink haired woman was how he would act in bed. Would he be like Leader, satiating his own lust? Or would he—

Her thoughts were cut short when he came through the door and stood still; appraising her naked form sprawled on his bed sheet perhaps. She felt a snag of worry. Was her breast size to his liking? The whipping marks and bruises did little to entice.

Mismatched eyes held her gaze as he came forward at a languid pace. Once his legs hit the edge of the bed, he got onto his knees, crawling closer to her. Sakura spread her legs instinctively, accommodating his thick yet thin waist between her bent knees.

She licked her dry lips as he took his time staring at her body unashamedly. His hands ran up and down her shoulders causing Sakura to shiver slightly. _God, he is so sexy_, she mused at the pale bangs that now shield his crimson red eye from her.

Then, he leaned forward, her breath hitching as he did so. _This is it_, she told herself, _just do it and I'll get back that damn necklace_.

She closed her eyes and waited for the lips to touch her skin but instead of touching her, Kakashi's hands held onto her side and gently pulled her to sit up, pushing her closer towards him. Sakura stared at him quizzically in spite of her quickening heartbeat. Was that bulge she felt his…

He offered a smile and caressed her cheek with the back of one hand while the other still held its place around her waist to keep her up.

"Can you take off my shirt for me?"

It was a polite request. She blushed a little but complied instantly. Her fingers worked on the plastic obstacles, slipping sometimes due to her shivering body. Unknown to her, Kakashi had to fight hard to keep mirth at bay each time she bit her lips and mumbled something incoherent as if scolding herself for failing to do a simple job as taking off a shirt properly. When the last button came off, she brushed the cotton material off his shoulder. Kakashi finished off the job, slipping out of the shirt and placed it on the space beside him.

A deep blush tainted Sakura's cheeks. Her exposure to the opposite sex had been only Shota, Leader and the people in the two-floor building at the outskirt of the city. Whereas the sandy-haired boy was skinny from lack of nutrition, Leader had a tummy the size of a nine-month pregnant woman. The others were either Shota-like or Leader-like with different heights. This man in front of her was, however, from a different league. Several scars marred the lean stomach much like hers but hidden beneath the skin were muscles that flexed with each movement he made. For a moment, Sakura wondered what Kakashi did for a living but she did not allow herself to indulge deep into it. She was here in this situation for a purpose.

She bent down and kiss up the length of his torso, paying attention to the dusky male nipples. Pride filled her at his soft groans. She gave each nipple a farewell kiss before reaching for the juncture of his neck. At the same time, her hands reached down for the sweatpants hanging low at his hip bone but was stopped as she started to pull it lower.

"What's wrong?" she sounded breathless. He ignored her question.

"Have you ever been kissed?"

Sakura nodded in reply, figuring he was trying an indirect approach to ask if she was a virgin. Sadly, at the age of bordering adulthood, she had never been kissed properly. Kakashi cupped her chin and slanted his lips against hers.

At first, it felt like nothing but as his tongue peeked out to sweep across her lips, she felt a tingling sensation coursing through her body. Kakashi noticed the change and tenderly nibbled her lower lip before licking the slightly swollen muscle. A moan escaped her lips and he took the chance to delve his tongue in. Taking his time to explore the sweet cavern, one hand held the nape of her neck, turning it to his liking as he deepened the kiss. Sakura felt surge of desires sparking all over her body. She wrapped a hand around his neck, the other burying deep in his pale white hair as she shyly engaged her tongue in action, mimicking what he had done. His groan vibrated across while the hand on her waist dropped to her hip bone, clutching tight, causing Sakura to shiver in anticipation.

For the first time in her life, Sakura felt something she thought she would never feel. _Lust._ Raw unadulterated desire for the man she was kissing. God, she wanted this man, needed him to touch her and satisfy the fire that was burning her very skin right now.

Wanting things to continue in a frenzy passion, she brought one hand down and boldly slipped past the waistband of his sweatpants to touch his erection.

Kakashi broke the kiss instantly much to her displeasure and pulled her hand out before scuttling back, putting her at an arm's length distance. Sakura felt confused and hurt but she stared at her bare lap and said nothing, waiting for the man to catch his breath.

After a while, she felt the bed moving and looked up to see Kakashi in front of her once again. He lifted one of her hands and when something cotton slid up her arm, she realized she was being clothed. Once the buttons were done up, he smiled at her.

"White suits you better."

Taking a moment to look at the shirt she was wearing, she realized it was the one she had helped him out off earlier on. Her mouth opened to question his action but he beat her to it.

"You have a beautiful body. Learn to love it… love yourself."

He ruffled her hair playfully and got off the bed, heading towards an adjoining room which Sakura suspected was the bathroom as the room was instantly filled by the sound of running water.

The events that occurred for the past few minutes befuddled her. She tried to rearrange her train of thoughts. They were kissing. And, _shit_, she had wanted him and stuck her hand into his pants. He stopped and moved away. Then he dressed her up. Then he said that…

Sakura unconsciously tugged at the collar of the shirt, taking in his scent, something sandalwood and spice.

_Learn to love it… love yourself. _

A series of clanking indicated the shower being turned off. She shifted her gaze to the bathroom door just as it swung open.

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Kakashi emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist. He ignored her stupefied gaze and headed for the cupboard, pulling drawers out in search of a change of clothes. Finding a pair of boxer-briefs, he dropped the towel, smirking at the squeak behind him. Serves her right for giving him a raging hard-on. The cold shower remedy had not worked and he had to jerk himself off, fantasizing how it would have been had he given in to his desires and fucked her senseless on his bed.

_Eh, enough, Hatake_. He was not in the mood for another cold shower plus he was half an hour late for his work. His employer was going to have his head for that.

Besides, she had not wanted this in the first place. Her intention was just to get back her necklace.

_She doesn't deserve this_.

From her jaded jade eyes, he could see the old him in her. _Just like when Obito died…_ Loosing faith in everything, living without a goal in life, hope seemed like a stupid thing to wish on.

He knew her life must be hard and somehow he wished to help her but helping her would not bring out anything good. It would only cause her to cling onto him, straying from the original aim. She would have to realize this all on her own.

Buttoning up his white shirt, his eyes caught something sitting on top of his cupboard, catching dust from lying still for years.

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Meanwhile, Sakura was having a hard time evading her straying eyes from looking at the man who was changing. The sight of droplets of water trailing down his body and a flash of slightly tanned globes was more than enough to make her groin tingle.

"Hey, catch this."

She looked up to see something small and brown flying through the air. Instinctively, her hand reached out to catch it before it met the bed. Feeling curious, she took away one hand to examine the object. It fitted perfectly in her palm. The wooden cover plate was a brownish red, the sleekness wearing off from years of use. There was a fan-like insignia on the cover and the carving of three Hiragana characters, a name perhaps. Trying very hard, she managed to read it out as Obito. She wondered if that was the pale-haired man's name.

"Ever learn how to play one of these?" Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin when Kakashi suddenly appeared behind her. "Don't do that!" she scolded while trying to soothe her nerves. He must have light feet to be able to walk around without a sound of his footstep. The man only scratched the back of his pale hair while laughing sheepishly, "Alright. That's a tremolo harmonica."

"Tremolo harmonica," Sakura repeated in awe. Such a fancy name for a small simple object.

"If you can get a tune out of it by the time I return, I'll give you back the necklace."

"Really?" she asked incredulously. Wasn't he resolute not to return it earlier on? Why the sudden change of thought?

"I promise," he winked, "A proper tune and you'll get back your necklace. Anyway, I'm off to work. Feel free to roam around. I'll be back with dinner at… let's say seven and—" he stopped when he noticed Sakura gawking like he was from another planet, "What?"

"Isn't it weird to leave your house 'unguarded' in the hands of a stranger?" Was this some sort of trap Kakashi had conspired with Leader? She bit her lips out of habit.

"Ah, about that, you do want your necklace back, don't you?" Sakura nodded quickly at this, "So, problem's solved. Anyway, I need to go. I'm already late. See you tonight."

Ruffling her hair once more, he hurried out of the bedroom. She heard another door slam shut. Did all that just happen? She stared at the foreign object in her hand and gently squeezed it. It was real.

Sakura let out a sigh and climbed out of the bed.

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Kakashi returned to a dark apartment later that night.

"Hmm…" He wondered if his apartment was emptied as he closed the door with his foot. Kicking off his shoes in the receiving hall, he switched on the lights. The living room was instantly bathed by a soft dim light. Placing the take-outs on the dining table, he walked around.

"Wow!" he whistled when he noticed how neat and tidy his humble abode was. It seemed like every speck of dust was sucked out of the room. Even the spot under the phone was wiped clean. It was rather eerie to him. Everything was so… sterile. _Now, where is she? _

He was about to proceed to the bedroom when a piece of paper lying on the living room's table caught his attention. A bad feeling came over him but he took it up and began to read.

_Obito-san, _

Kakashi realized she must have confused the name on the harmonica with his but quickly shrugged off the thought, reading on.

_I have left. I have taken your harmonica with me. I will come back and play for you. _

_I have taken ¥ 100,000 from your wallet. I will return it to you when I have the money._

_Sakura._

Kakashi was least of all worried about the cash she had taken. It wasn't much and he had more. Besides, she had 'redeemed' herself by cleaning his apartment.

He noted that she used only hiragana except for Obito's name. He had suspected she was around 18 but it would seem like she did not even finish her primary school if she mistook the hiragana 'wa' (わ) with 'ne' (ね) and judging from the simple sentence structure, he must be right.

_Sakura… _

_Who is she? _He found himself interested to know more about her. His thoughts returned to earlier that morning - the beautiful curves of her body moulded against his, how warm she felt in his arms.

He had not meant to let things gone that far. He was going to tease her, _yes, just teasing_ and then asked her to dress up but upon reaching his bedroom, those thoughts were lost at the sight of her naked form sprawled on his bed. Kakashi took in every detail as he stood by the door, right from the pink thatch covering the cleft between her legs to the blush on her face. Conscience seemed to detach from his body as he made his way towards her. When he had the chance to admire her up-close, to feel her, Kakashi found himself drawn to her like a moth to a fire. The feel of her lips on his skin was soul-searing that he could not help but taste those luscious lips.

Reaching to his back pocket, he drew out the necklace. His finger traced the engraved name as he frowned, worry lines appearing on his face.

Wherever she was and whatever she was doing, he prayed that she would be safe.

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Stopping short in front of the dodgy-looking door, Sakura sucked in a deep breath and her hand reached into her pocket, brushing past the ¥ 100,000 to touch the harmonica.

She could not help the smile from appearing on her face.

_You have a beautiful body. Learn to love it… love yourself. _His words were forever etched in her mind.

After fumbling for a good three hours, Sakura was able to memorize which airways to place her mouth on to play her tune, something bitter and sweet like her life. She had wanted so much to wait for him to return and play for him but, alas, she decided to leave. She did not understand why but if she wanted to be honest to herself, it was because of him.

With time to spare and nothing to do, her thoughts began to sift through archives of her life.

Eight years of her life was wasted picking people's pocket, stealing, shoplifting… instead of sitting in a classroom, taking notes and chatting with friends about dreams. Then again, those dreams had been smashed like shards of glass when her parents committed suicide after incurring a large debt to yakuzas, more specifically Leader. She was only ten.

She wondered why they had not brought her along. Why leave her alone in this world? Did they think men like Leader would let go of their little daughter after their deaths? They had been wrong to assume that. She had been beaten and raped repeatedly just to show her the real taste of life and Leader's anger. Her innocent mind was broken and it made things easier for the thugs to train her. She was taught how to steal in broad daylight, which person's pocket to pick and how to exploit her childish looks and body in their interest. Once in a while, she would break under the pressure and refused to do the job. They did not pity her, least of all Leader. A good whipping or having his way with her, she would go back to her job. Once, Sakura was subjected to public humiliation, raped on a couch as other children watched in the name of a worthy 'lesson' to learn. Sometimes, there were threats of sending her work in brothels or strip clubs as she grew older. It would not be an overstatement to say that she loathed men and the urge to kill them with her bare hands were always present although not carried out.

When Sakura was first thrown into the room consisting of the small community of hopeless generation of tomorrow, the other children hardly gave her a second glance; in their mind, she was just another one of them. It was the way things worked in the community hidden within the worn-down grey building. You did your own job and looked out for yourself or end up being beaten up or starved; worst of all, killed. Friendship was never fostered as much as trust was a concern.

But Shota was different. The first night he came, he asked politely if he could sleep next to her, his big black eyes pleading incessantly. Sakura quirked an eyebrow but ignored him nonetheless. She woke up in the middle of the night to find him snuggled next to her. Sakura was one second away from beating the boy to an inch of his life. The realization of having a male species lying next to her was nauseating especially how it reminded her of Leader who abused and humiliated her. But, the young boy, still deep in his dreams, let out a small whimper the moment she pulled away. His small hands immediately searched for something in his sleep.

"Nee-san." His soft voice clenched at her heart. In the dim moon-lit room, Sakura could make out faint trails of tears on his face. She had seen this before. The other kids before Shota had cried in their slumber, missing what was once their warm beds. She herself had been there before.

Compassion seemed to possess her that night and she allowed herself to be hold by a small pair of cold hands. An act of kindness brought about a deep friendship, leading both of them to where they were today. It would suffice to say that Shota had changed her opinion on the opposite sex if only for a second.

Then, he came along. Sakura swore she would never believe another man's word in her life, except for Shota but he managed to sway her decision. He treated her well and rather respectfully. He could have let her suffer in the cold but he took her home and lent her his bed, not minding her dirty body. He made breakfast for her when he found out she was hungry. And… he could have taken her to bed, she would not even stop him from doing so but he pushed her away just as she was beginning to enjoy the coupling. At first, she worried that he had found her repulsive but that couldn't be. He wouldn't have touched her if he thought so, what's more kissed her. Perhaps conscience had jolted him awake or maybe it was for her virtue but the thought that he would restrain himself brought a sense of gratification within her despite the sexual frustration she had felt, and a different perception of man.

Running her fingers along the metal plate, Sakura remembered the small exclamation of joy when she was able to play the tune without a note out of place. The positive feeling, something she had not felt for a long time, prompted her to think of something else.

If you set a goal for yourself, you would strive hard to achieve it. No matter how hard and long it took, as long as you don't give up, you would find a way out in the end. She began to realize she had mistaken herself all these time. It was not hope that had given up on her; it was _she_ who had given up on _hope_.

Whether he had done it purposefully or not, she thanked the pale-haired man from the bottom of her heart.

Drawing strength from the cool metal, her other hand reached up to twist the knob of the door, the door of hell but she would not be afraid to face the demons behind it because for the first time in her life, Haruno Sakura felt _hope_ – the small desire to break free.

_I will play for you one day so, please wait for me._

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Author's note:

The story will undergo editing for a period of time so changes may occur from time to time.


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